My creative workbook

If only planning a wedding can be as easy as a wave of the fairy godmother’s wand, and “bippity boppity boo,” everything is perfectly planned. Realistically there will be a few “oh no” moments where you need to be resilient to get done what you want to do.

Here are a few of my own coping strategies that I use when things are not going exactly as planned:

Take a moment for the moment: Remember what you are planning. Sit back and look around you, this moment is your precious memory. Make a conscious effort to remember the connections you made and the love you felt. Put the “oh no” into perspective.

Over prepare, then go with the flow: Do your work. Prepare what you need to prepare. And then when all is said and done let things go. Being too stuck on an outcome can actually make things go wrong. Unexpected things may happen and it is so much better than anything you could have planned, just go with it.

It is not over until it is well and truly over: While it is wise to make alternative arrangements if you notice something is not going to plan keep your eye open for things actually falling into place at the last moment. It happens.

Make decisions once: It is exhausting to revisit the same decision over and over and over. While it is important to keep an open mind it is also important to make a decision quickly when you are at a crossroad.

Don’t sacrifice what you don’t have to: Do you know for sure, without a shadow of a doubt, that that design element or venue is not going to be available? You might think your friend would not enjoy being part of the wedding party even though you desperately want to include her, but do you know, for sure? Don’t assume an outcome before exhausting all the possibilities.

Use your resources: When things are not going as planned fall back on things that are familiar to you. What (or who) do you already have access to that can help out? Someone with a pretty flower garden? Driftwood from a beach close by? Someone with an eye for design who can transform a handful of wildflowers into a bouquet?

Perfect never makes for a good story to tell years to come. While you most certainly don’t want drama to follow you every step of the way, overcoming small obstacles together as a couple add to the adventure of planning your wedding.

This is my ongoing creative workbook to research and capture design projects and techniques. You will mostly find ideas for floral art but I will also include some other projects such as gift packaging, cards and even cake decorating with a few lifestyle projects arranged in between.

Everything you see in this workbook was designed, made and photographed by me, unless specific credit is given to another designer.